Kind Of A Touchy Charger Topic

[Darkness]

I know this is a little personal for some folks but, just curious as to have much money you have into your Charger(s)? I also, it's something some hate to think about but, just thought I would bring up the topic.

[RallyeMike]

IMHO, It's important to keep all your receipts. It's even more important to never give in to the temptation to add them up !

[BlueSS454]

So far I have about $6,000 into mine including the purchase price of $3,000, leaving about $3,000 in parts spent so far.  I should be finishing up getting the left quarter panel on this week.  I estimate about $15,000 to do the car start to finish, although I'll probably go over it just like I did with my 70 SS Chevelle.

[Telvis]

Including the price I paid for the car. I have right at $21,000 in mine if you include what I have to pay the body guy. I will probably spend another $3k before I am finished.

[skip68]

As of now about $7,300.oo .    $5,500 for the car and $1,800 in the engine...I'm about half way done.

[phat69charger]

IMHO, It's important to keep all your receipts. It's even more important to never give in to the temptation to add them up !

Well I gave in and added them up, the car, parts, pay out for work done I know I missed some things but from what I have: $26,375.00 so far, I thought it was more but it's been over a few years too.

I forgot to add that it has been to three shops it was dissassembled at one, then moved to another for metal and body prep, the building owners wanted that building back for there own use so when the lease expired they had to move, then it was moved to my body mans garage at his home, and now it's in my garage so a lot of the cost came from buying pieces that where lost during the moves, so make sure you take all of the pieces off your car that you can put back your self off the car just in case something like a body shop move happens to you, if I had all of the pieces mostly screws and small parts that can fit in your hand, the price would be a lot less.

[JimsSE]

Deals are still out there if you can settle for something not too desirable (SE, 318 2V, bench seat, etc.).  In fact, that's probably how you can still find something in decent shape and not trashed or worn out.

I paid $1925 for my unrestored, numbers matching, '73 SE.

I probably have put about $250 in parts (alternator, coil, hoses, ECU, Voltage regulator, belts, plug wires, etc.) to keep the original date-coded ones from wearing out.

About $2200 total.

Jim

[jaak]

Deals are still out there if you can settle for something not too desirable (SE, 318 2V, bench seat, etc.).  In fact, that's probably how you can still find something in decent shape and not trashed or worn out.

I paid $1925 for my unrestored, numbers matching, '73 SE.

I probably have put about $250 in parts (alternator, coil, hoses, ECU, Voltage regulator, belts, plug wires, etc.) to keep the original date-coded ones from wearing out.

About $2200 total.

Jim

Jim Thats a sharp Charger, you gotta feel proud to have so little in a NICE car like that.

Jason

[kab69440]

I don't wanna think about it. Whatever it is, it has been worth every penny. hahaha

[JimsSE]

Thanks Jason.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that $1925 was when I bought it in 1992.  I would imagine in today's $$$ I would have paid considerably more.  Parts on the other hand, still seem to be more available and reasonably cheap for a run-of-the mill 318 now adays.  

Trim and hard to find interior pieces will cost you an arm and a leg if you have to replace/refurbish them no matter what year or model.  My motto over the years has always been to find a complete car.  I think it's cheaper in the long run.  

Jim

[Big Lebowski]

About $22,000 in 1996 dollars. I paid $1500 for the '70 Six-pack Charger in 1990. All this minus my labor of course, if we counted those hours X $85.00?? Most resto shops charge that much per hour. Who knows, that's why these cars are getting $65,000 at the BJ auction

[Darkness]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I believe labor costs do play a part in prices but, not as much as supply and demand currently.

[Mefirst]

an INSANE AMOUNT of money, and the car isn't even done yet

[hemihead]

I only paid $1000 for my 73  5 years ago, drove it a year before I took in apart.Now I have more into it than I care to admit but the labor is all mine and I don't spend money on any other vices in life.

[Pistolpete]

Unfortunately I'm one of those idiots who doesn't know when to stop! I'll probably have over $40 k invested by the time she's done but I'm doing a "complete" resto including engine - yikes...

[terrible one]

$3,600 for the car, and I havn't bought anything for her. I'm saving for panels! 

[71charger_fan]

I have most of my receipts but have never added it up. I'd rather not know.

[Shakey]

I know this is a little personal for some folks but, just curious as to have much money you have into your Charger(s)? I also, it's something some hate to think about but, just thought I would bring up the topic.

No need to worry about touchy subjects here.

Check out this one.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,3797.0.html

[Darkness]

Thanks Shakey but, I figure I would start another one since we have a lot of new people on the board here now.

[triple_green]

$14,000 in the 68
$40,000 in the 69, but i got an original 69 426 hemi (needing a rebuild) in the deal.

[NYCMille]

About 12k in the last 2 years.

[hemi68charger]

I in no way try to even contemplate keeping my receipts.... First, I don't want to be shocked if I ever found out and second, I don't care, it's in the price of mental health as far as I'm concerned. My Chargers give me sanity in dire times.... Of course my wife and kid always help me out, but there are some things only a man's car can bring to him.......... Even if it's just hanging out in the garage...

In the scheme of things though, with what I've paid for my Chargers and money I've got into them and what they are worth "today", I'm WAY ahead !!!!   

Troy

[Sinister68]

an INSANE AMOUNT of money, and the car isn't even done yet

Ditto!  I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all purchases for the Charger and its nothing short of amazing how much $$$ you can rack up in a year!!!

[jwilk01]

I would say I have about $13,500 in it.  That would include car purchased for $3500 and the rest in parts.  Luckily I did all the work to it myself so I didn't have to pay a bodyshop.  Oh that amount may go up some with the new wheels and redoing the engine bay over the winter so maybe around $15,000 in total.

Later
Josh

[hemigeno]

IMHO, It's important to keep all your receipts. It's even more important to never give in to the temptation to add them up !

     Words to live by... 

I value my marriage too much to add everything up.  Plausible deniability, y'know!

[Old Moparz]

I used to keep tabs on what I was spending years ago & I did it on my first Charger, my Satellite, my Scamp, & also for my wife's Duster. I did mostly for maintenance reasons to see what & when I changed something. I'd also see what year cost the most to keep it going & my wife's Duster was the cheapest when it went 4 years consecutively, with only an alternator crapping out.

Once I stopped driving them regularly, I stopped adding up what was spent. I do save the receipts in a folder for each car, but adding it up doesn't interest me as much as knowing I found a good deal when I bought the part or paid for a service. Off the top of my head, the money I have into my Charger as of today, including the car I listed below. A few parts as well as the drive train, I've had for years.

1968 Charger shell (With all new sheet metal installed) ............$1200
1969 Parts car (Price paid minus resale) ...................................$400
1970 Fenders (Converted for Daytona nose) .............................$600
1973 New Yorker (Running/driving car w/ 440 & 727) ................$225
Rebuild on 727 .......................................................................$600
9-3/4" Dana 60 Rear ...............................................................$300
Reproduction Daytona parts (All, except front valance) .............$3700
SE Leather interior...................................................................$200
Misc. parts off ebay & at swap meets........................................$800 (+/-)
Aluminum Offenhauser 2x4 intake...............................................$75
Automatic console (From Satellite parts car I resold) ..................Free
1968 Grille (Traded a 1969 grille I had from parts car) ................Free
1970 Hood (Saved from parts car I resold) ................................Free

Total so far .........................................................................$8100

Of course there are more parts I still need, but that will be somewhat minimal compared to what it would have cost if I had bought a rot box from the beginning, or decided that I had to have an R/T instead of a base car. (It was just a 383-2V) I anticipate spending about $3500 to rebuild the 440 & the Dana rear, & maybe the same or less on the finish body work & paint. If the nickel & dime items I'm still missing don't turn into quarters & half dollars, I should have the car done & have a very presentable car for under $18,000.

That number can go even lower if I sell off all the parts I won't need, like the stock '68 nose, once it has the Daytona parts installed. I'm aware that it would take a lot more money to make it a show car as nice as some I've seen on this site, but that's not my goal. All I want is a reliable, rust free cruiser that looks a lot shinier than my primered Satellite, & not a PITA to drive. The fun I get from the car hobby, as well as meeting & making friends with a lot of the people in it, seems well worth it.

[chargerboy69]

I have right around $16,000 in mine, and that includes the $3500 I paid for it. Now when I took off parts I sold them when I got the new ones so I would really get to take some off of the total. . . .

[472 R/T SE]

My Chally is the only car I ever paid more than 20k for. 

[MOPARHOUND!]

$23,500, counting my labor as free.

Iincludes 3 engine failures  :'      (cam died on break-in 0 miles, spun rod bearing 7100 miles, cam lobe went flat 9800 miles).  I've removed and installed the engine 4 times, as the engine had a bad wrist pin and cracked crank when I bought the car.  Funny thing is I enjoy working on the Charger, just wish it was under different circumstances.........LOL.

And now, the 20 year old paint is about ready for a re-do.   

If I had skipped the 496, aluminum Eddy heads, and TTI exhaust mods, and went with a stock rebuild, more like $15,500.00.

[69charger2002]

i have $11,900 in mine. that includes $3000 the first go round for body and paint, and another $2000 to replace windshields this time and a new paint job..
trav

[CB]

13K and still spending...

[JimShine]

I have around $10,500 into my car at this point. The body is almost where I want it. Interior is almost done (need to install the carpet and stock seats). After that the 383 will be overhauled for it. So the real engine stuff has yet to be started.

[mally69]

well i have about 16,000 in my 69 Charger R/T i started it 2 1/2 years ago and i still have wheels and tires to buy

[rare69]

$30.000.00 IN PARTS! and just starting the body work. I'm hoping less than $45.000.00 when complete.

[69bananabeast]

got about $30K in mine but almost done .  I think all that's left is to re-paint along with body work and maybe a Dana 60 In the future havent decided yet.

[WINGMAN]

   Well i have 11k in my 69 500, and a big 50k in my daytona. Both cars look nice for unrestord cars. I hope i can get that outa them some day But if i cant then i might sell them a peace at a time on e-bay   JR

[chrisII]

ive got right around 2 grand in mine, a lil under. it runs and drives and gets TONS of looks..